DISINFORMATION ABOUT UKRAINE GROWS, AS DOES FALSE CONTENT ABOUT THE EU AND IMMIGRATION
The 35 organizations* part of the EDMO fact-checking network that contributed to this brief published a total of 1.488 fact-checking articles in February 2024. Out of these articles, 71 (5%) focused on the conflict between Israel and Hamas; 101 (7%) on climate change-related disinformation; 152 (10%) on Ukraine-related disinformation; 113 (8%) on disinformation related to the EU; 76 (5%) on COVID-19-related disinformation; 98 (7%) on disinformation related to immigration; and 26 (1%) on disinformation about LGBTQ+ and gender issues.
Disinformation about the war in Ukraine increased by a few percentage points, going from 7% in January to 10% the following month. Disinformation about immigration and disinformation about the EU also increased, even if more moderately. Shares of the other constantly monitored disinformation topics remained stable (as in the case of false stories about the conflict in the Middle East and those about LGBTQ+ issues) or decreased slightly (as in the case of climate change and Covid-related disinformation).
*Organisations that contributed to this brief: 15min, AFP, APA, Correctiv, Check4facts, Delfi, Demagog.cz, Demagog.sk, DPA, Eesti Päevaleht, EFE Verifica, Ellinika Hoaxes, Fact Check Cyprus, Factcheck Vlaanderen, FactReview, Faktabaari, Faktisk, FranceTV, Funky, Greece Fact Check, Källkritikbyrån, Lakmusz, Logically Facts, Maldita, Medizin transparent, Newtral, Oštro, PagellaPolitica/Facta, Polígrafo, Pravda, Re:Baltica, The Journal Fact-Check, TjekDet, Verifica RTVE, Verificat
DISINFORMATION ABOUT FARMERS’ PROTESTS EXPANDS, BOOSTING ANTIEU FEELINGS AND BEING EXPLOITED BY RUSSIAN PROPAGANDA
As farmer protests intensified across Europe in February, so did disinformation about them. With wider media coverage in many EU countries false stories about the tractors increased, often exaggerating the support received by the farmers or (as happened in January) the size of their rallies. These false stories used old or unrelated videos, recaptioning them as related to the ongoing protests and often accompanied by invectives against the EU or its “environmental rules”.
Current issues concerning the agricultural and food sectors have been exploited by false stories trying to exacerbate negative sentiments towards EU institutions. For example, an old false narrative about edible insects resurfaced, claiming that European citizens were being forced to eat them, while unfounded information spread the message that the EU had approved the sale of lab-grown meat. Other false stories claimed that the EU imports waste or toxic food into its borders, which does not pass phytosanitary controls but is intended for citizens in different countries.
Pro-Russian disinformation also tried to capitalize on the centrality and relevance of the rallies in the public debate. After false stories claimed in January that the Russian Embassy in Berlin had turned on a siren to show solidarity with the tractor protests, in February it was claimed that farmers had thrown manure at the Ukrainian Embassy in Paris, allegedly because of its calls on French farmers to end the demonstrations. This false story circulated in several countries, including the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Italy, Spain, Greece, Bulgaria, and Hungary. Exploiting cracks and social tensions in Western societies, fueling them through disinformation, is a well-known strategy of Russian propaganda.
AI GENERATED DISINFORMATION
The percentage of disinformation stories using AI-generated content increased slightly in February. Out of 1.488 factchecking articles, 73 used this disinformation technique. This corresponds to around 5% of the total, up from 4% in the previous months.
Apart from the aforementioned AI-generated voice of Navalny’s mother, the most widely circulated false content was an AI-generated image showing tractors and straw bales in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. A deep fake of a France24 anchor was also widely shared, suggesting that a trip of President Macron of France to Ukraine was canceled because of a secret Ukrainian plan to kill him.
Read the full paper here
